Obama Budget Draws Fire

By

Janet Hook and

Colleen McCain Nelson

Updated April 5, 2013 9:29 p.m. ET

President Barack Obama's budget plan will for the first time formally embrace a proposal to curb the growth of Social Security and other federal benefits—a challenge to a long-held Democratic Party commitment that he hopes will jump-start stalled deficit-reduction efforts.

However, Mr. Obama's plan, described by administration officials Friday and set for release Wednesday, drew fire from both House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio)...